THE STAR (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) 03 September 10 Wildlife trafficker admits to exporting snakes without permit (M. Mageswari)

Sepang: Convicted international wildlife trafficker Anson Wong has pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court here to exporting 95 snakes without a permit.

Wong, whose full name is Wong Keng Liang, admitted to exporting 95 boa constrictors — which are an endangered species — without a permit at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 8.50pm on Aug 26.

The snakes were found in a bag while Wong was in transit from Penang to Jakarta.

Wong, 52, could be fined a maximum of RM100,000 or jailed up to seven years or both under Section 10(a) of the International Trade of Endangered Species Act.

Prosecuting officer Faridz Gohim Abdullah, from Perhilitan (Wildlife and National Parks Department), applied to the court to set Wong’s bail at RM50,000.

Sessions Court judge Zulhelmy Hasan set bail at RM50,000 in one surety.

Judge Zulhelmy also ordered Wong to surrender his passport pending disposal of the case.

The judge set Sept 6 for mention pending appointment of a lawyer.

However, Wong posted bail yesterday.

It had been reported in The Star that Wong was linked to a Dec 15 seizure in the United States of various types of animals from an exotic animal outlet.

Two of the trader’s companies were found to have been supplying animals to the outlet.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) claimed that CBS Wildlife and Sungai Rusa Wildlife, both owned by Wong, were supplying various types of animals and wildlife.

Wong pleaded guilty to trafficking wildlife in the United States in 2000 and sentenced to 71 months’ jail.
Wildlife trafficker admits to exporting snakes without permit

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